Senate File 538 - Introduced SENATE FILE 538 BY CELSI A BILL FOR An Act establishing a working group on nursing home Medicaid 1 payment recovery following the closure or sale of a nursing 2 home. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 1756XS (3) 91 lh/ko
S.F. 538 Section 1. WORKING GROUP ON NURSING HOME MEDICAID PAYMENT 1 RECOVERY. 2 1. The department of health and human services shall convene 3 a working group to review the discrepancy between nursing home 4 residents who are subject to Medicaid estate recovery after 5 receiving care from a nursing home, and nursing homes that 6 are not subjected to Medicaid payment recovery following the 7 closure or sale of a nursing home. 8 2. a. The working group shall include all of the following 9 members: 10 (1) The director of health and human services, or the 11 directors designee. 12 (2) The director of the Medicaid fraud control unit, or the 13 directors designee. 14 (3) At least three individuals with experience navigating 15 the Medicaid estate recovery process for nursing home 16 residents. 17 (4) A co-owner of the Hale group. 18 b. The working group shall also include four members of 19 the general assembly serving as ex officio, nonvoting members, 20 one representative to be appointed by the speaker of the house 21 of representatives, one representative to be appointed by the 22 minority leader of the house of representatives, one senator to 23 be appointed by the president of the senate after consultation 24 with the majority leader of the senate, and one senator to be 25 appointed by the minority leader of the senate. 26 3. The department of health and human services shall provide 27 administrative support to the working group. The director of 28 health and human services, or the directors designee, shall 29 serve as chairperson of the working group, and shall schedule 30 meetings of the working group as necessary to complete the work 31 of the working group. 32 4. The department of health and human services shall submit 33 a report to the general assembly on or before February 28, 34 2026, containing recommendations to address the potential 35 -1- LSB 1756XS (3) 91 lh/ko 1/ 2
S.F. 538 issues involved with recovering a portion of Medicaid payments 1 from a nursing home following the closure or sale of a 2 nursing home, and any proposed legislation to provide public 3 accountability following closure or sale of a nursing home. 4 5. The working group shall dissolve upon submission of the 5 report to the general assembly and the director of health and 6 human services, but shall dissolve no later than March 1, 2026. 7 EXPLANATION 8 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 9 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 10 This bill establishes a working group on nursing home 11 Medicaid payment recovery (working group). The working group 12 shall review the discrepancy between nursing home residents who 13 are subject to Medicaid estate recovery after receiving care 14 from a nursing home, and nursing homes that are not subjected 15 to Medicaid payment recovery following closure or sale of a 16 nursing home. The working group shall consist of members as 17 detailed in the bill. The department of health and human 18 services shall provide administrative support for the working 19 group and the director of health and human services, or the 20 directors designee, shall serve as the chairperson for the 21 working group. The working group shall submit a report to the 22 general assembly on or before February 28, 2026, containing 23 recommendations to address potential issues with recovering 24 a portion of Medicaid payments following the sale or closure 25 of a nursing home, and any legislation to provide public 26 accountability following sale or closure of a nursing home. 27 The working group shall dissolve upon the submission of the 28 report to the general assembly and the director of health and 29 human services no later than March 1, 2026. 30 -2- LSB 1756XS (3) 91 lh/ko 2/ 2